SAILING AT RYDE SCHOOL
THE SAILING DEPARTMENT AT RYDE All Ryde School pupils from Prep to Sixth Form are guaranteed an opportunity to access sailing or water sports as part of their curriculum. For the more experienced sailors, we aim to grow, develop and hone their skills and understanding. We pride ourselves on being one of the few non-selective schools that incorporates sailing into our curriculum. We work with partners across the Island to maximise opportunities for our sailing pupils, beginner and elite alike: Tackt-Isle; Royal Thames Yacht Club, via Cowes; Sea View Yacht Club and Tuesday night racing with the Island Sailing Club.
“The time when I feel most alive is when I am racing. I am not a competitive person in the rest of my life but in sailing I am. It is really good because the coach is there to give you advice but you can do whatever you want and there is a lot of responsibility for your actions and, if no one else saw, you still have to be responsible. It is so enjoyable and I think it will set me up for life in future in terms of skills that I learn“ Ruby, Year 9. Started sailing Oppies in Year 7. Now a key member of our Year 9 and 10 squad, Ruby has sailed at school weekly, year round.
AIMS INCLUSIVITY Ensuring pupils of all abilities and experience have access to sailing from Prep to Sixth Form. ELITE Develop and support talented sailors across the School. Maximise sailing time on the water whilst broadening experience and skills in order to support/endorse British Sailing or Class Association pathways.
DEVELOPMENT Build resilience and independence in our pupils, use experience on the water to build students’ confidence, initiative and maturity. OPPORTUNITY Harnessing the opportunities presented through our location at the heart of the UK sailing scene through curriculum sailing, fixtures, leisure sailing and after school racing on and off the Island.
“At Ryde we hold a firm belief that sailing builds resilience, independence and confidence in our young people. Our proximity to the heart of the UK sailing scene and the contacts and partnerships that affords, ensures our pupils have access to opportunities unrivalled for beginner to elite dinghy sailing and small, medium and large keelboat practice and racing through the curriculum and inter schools competitive racing” Claudia Manser, Director of Sailing
In the past five years we have revolutionised our approach to sailing and incorporated it into our core curriculum with the following as achieved outcomes: PREP YEARS 5 & 6 • All students in Years 5 and 6 are given the opportunity to achieve the RYA level 1 and 2 sailing qualification • Annual Mermaid Regatta involving students and parents in fleet racing at Sea View Yacht Club YEARS 7 & 8 • Year 7 induction at UKSA through sailing and water sports, working on team building and resilience • Sailing during the Summer Term incorporated into the weekly timetable • National competitions and regatta entries • Summer Term after-school training for squad sailors • Swallows & Amazons club for adventure / exploration sailing YEAR 9 – UPPER SIXTH • Year round sailing with specialist coaches within the weekly timetable • Introduction to team racing both in training and at national competition level • Summer Term after-school training for squad sailors • Keel boat racing series in the Summer Term through the RTYC fleet in Cowes, Tuesday night series through the Island Sailing Club • Opportunities to enter the Round the Island Race and other offshore sailing experiences FOR YEARS 7 – UPPER SIXTH Lake Garda • Bi-annual trip to the Andrew Simpson Sailing centre in Lake Garda • Open to full capability ranges with groups with training then split based on ability • More experienced sailors coached in foiling dinghies Fixtures • National and local fixtures throughout the year • Entry to British Schools Dinghy Race Association events and National Schools Sailing Association • Inter-schools and club competitive sailing and events Sailing Scholarships • Open for applications yearly from September with sailing specific scholarships available for Years 7, 9 and Sixth Form. Scholarships open up access to bursaries Sixth Form Yachting Induction • Overnight stay on a sailing yacht as part of their first term
During his time at Ryde, Maxi trained towards selection for the GBR 29er squad, honed his team racing skills and has been integral to the School teams’ success. He spends most weekends travelling to training, competitions and qualifying events, being at Ryde has doubled the amount of time that Maxi spends on the water.
“I started sailing when I was seven, my parents were the ones who originally sailed and they encouraged me to get into it. I find training is really focused but equally relaxing. Sailing in the 29er has a really positive impact on my mental health, sailing takes me outside, sailing keeps me outside. On the weekends I sail for six hours a day both days...there aren’t any other sports like that. Sailing allows me to be more relaxed about things and look at them from a different perspective. Being at Ryde has meant that I can get easily get out on the water” Maxi, Upper Sixth boarder 2021
THE ELITE PATHWAY AT RYDE
• Double time on the water compared with traditional secondary education with access to sailing • Introduction to mastering ‘Team Racing’ • Coaching from industry leaders, ex Olympians and British Sailing Squad coaches • Support, guidance and coordination with British Sailing or Class Association Pathways • Scholars access to strength and conditioning training, sports and physiology lectures • Soon to be TASS Duel Career Accredited Centre with school contribution to Sport England research and development on sailing as a dual career
OUR FUTURE
• Entry and completion of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Fastnet plus other offshore sailing competitions • Purchase and refit of an offshore sailing boat, in conjunction with our school STEM programme • To be one of the top five British schools in terms of sailing results • To run an international sailing tour
RYDE SCHOOL: A BACKGROUND
At Ryde we offer excellent academic teaching alongside a wide range of extracurricular activities. Main sports, such as netball, cricket, rugby, sailing and hockey are played against schools on and off the Island with football, athletics, croquet and riding also on offer to both day and boarding pupils. Boarding pupils live in two new boarding houses within the school grounds: Millfield, a beautifully renovated Victorian villa for the younger boarders or the new contemporary Centenary House, with stunning sea views, designed to prepare older students for university and adult life. Both houses have multiple common rooms, study areas and single and twin bedrooms, mostly ensuite. Weekends are spent learning to paddle board, sail, go-karting or simply enjoying long walks on the beaches with a boarding house dog. Barbecues and football are regular pursuits as well as cooking and more recently beekeeping! Boarders in front of Centenary House
SAILING AT RYDE SCHOOL
Independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 2½ to 18 General enquiries: Ryde School, Queen’s Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 3BE, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1983 562229
school.office@rydeschool.net
Sailing enquiries: Claudia Manser, cmm@rydeschool.net
www.rydeschool.org.uk @ryde_school_sailing